1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to an armor system and more particularly to an armor system for military vehicles and the like comprising a plurality of armor plates adapted to destroy a long rod penetrator or shaped-charged jet by the principle of shock hydrodynamics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of composite armor systems have been proposed for effectively resisting penetration by armor piercing projectiles and the like. Commonly, such systems comprise multiple layers of metal armor plates, with or without interposed non-metallic materials. Systems of this type primarily rely on deflection or evasion techniques induced by the configuration and/or physical makeup of the system's components.
The hull of a tank, for example, is normally constructed of steel armor plates or the like that are designed and shaped to provide protection against projectiles fired against it. It is common practice to slope the surfaces of the hull to increase the likelihood that a projectile will glance-off such surfaces. Protection of the tank's crew by relatively heavy armor plates is often-times found to be incompatible with adequate mobility and maneuverability of the tank. Thus, the tank designer has endeavored to effect a compromise between weight and mechanical performance with the weight of a conventional armor system normally comprising approximately one-third of the total weight of the tank.